Blood protein patterns linked to Alzheimer’s and related dementias
Plasma Proteomic Signatures for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
This work looks at many proteins in blood to find early signs and causes of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in older women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11297660 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a project that uses stored blood samples and long-term memory and brain imaging data from a large group of women followed for decades. Researchers will measure roughly 7,000 proteins in plasma using a high-throughput proteomics platform (SOMAscan) to find protein patterns tied to later cognitive decline, MCI, or dementia. They will compare women who developed cognitive problems to those who did not and use a proteomic "clock" to study accelerated biological aging. The goal is to identify blood markers that appear before symptoms and point to biological pathways that could become treatment targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are older, postmenopausal women at risk for cognitive decline who can provide blood samples and clinical information or are already enrolled in long-term women’s health cohorts.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment, men, much younger adults, or anyone unable to provide blood samples are unlikely to benefit from this observational biomarker work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable earlier detection of Alzheimer's risk from a simple blood test and highlight new targets for future treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research and the investigators' preliminary data have found blood protein links to cognitive decline, but applying broad 7,000-protein profiling in a long, diverse women’s cohort is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shadyab, Aladdin — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Shadyab, Aladdin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.